Day 4 of giving up alcohol

[Saltypotato]

Hi all,

I am on another thread that started in Jan and is still running. We all started together and the support was immense, it was the only thing that got me through the first month. At the end of Jan/beginning of Feb I started having 'just the one' and we all know how that goes if you have a problem. The group are now at 100 days and whilst I love checking in they aren't at the starting stage I am at the moment.

Lockdown has meant I am out of routine and haven't had a reason to keep my drinking under control (no work, not driving etc) so after drinking every night since it began I ended up passing my last full bottle of booze to a friend a few days ago and making an attempt to give up.

That was a few days ago, I am just starting my day 4. It's been easier than I thought as there isnt the option of just popping out to the shop so I'm not taunting myself. I have got a bottle of vodka and one of gin in my amazon cart that I keep hovering over buying but its on a few days lead time so I don't want it to arrive when I'm a week in and undo my hard work. That thought is stopping me.

But we have to go out today for essentials and tonight I have a zoom call with friends in the "pub". I am really tempted to get something whilst I'm out and my brain is doing the 'oh you deserve it, its a stressful time' and 'you can just have two to join in' (from experience, I can't)

If anyone else is feeling similar or just started their journey into the wonderful world of tonic water please join me. Strength in numbers, right?

I joined in the middle of this thread and didnt make it past 2 days however I have been on a diet to get rid of a few stone and have been using MFP and am disgusted by the amount of calories I consume through alcohol, no wonder I am overweight. So I've been dieting, exercising and purposely starving myself to allow myself the extra calories from wine/beer and have come to the conclusion that I need a good boot up the arse to stop once and for all! I cant eat well all day then through away everything to sit drinking it all back again and for what? To wake up with anxiety, feel sluggish, guilt and no motivation?

So tomorrow will be my day 1 (yet again) I want to get back to a size 8/10 that I was for years until I developed this unhealthy relationship with wine. No more excuses. I done my 10thousand steps,, half an hour exercise bike, eaten healthy food then had red wine/rose tonight and might as well have eaten a KFC in terms of the calories I am consuming! Sick and tired of being sick and tired

Will check in tomorrow as I find everyone elses progress the best motivation!

Oh me too! Again!! I’ve put on about three stone as well purely through booze.

We’ve run out of wine now though which will help. I find it easier if there is none in the house.

Its shocking how many calories we consume through booze!

Just popping into to wish you al good morning, welcome to all the newbies, lovely to meet you

I've got a few pages to catch up on, which I'll do after I finish some work I need to get completed.

Love to all.

@Ghostonthedancefloor.... well done for resisting the gin! I had a real wobble making chilli con carne a few nights ago. I usually put red wine in it and have a couple of glasses before I start on the white. I suddenly thought I can’t make a chilli without wine and remembered I had a bottle of red under the stairs. I opened it and put a slug in the food. Then mindlessly got a glass and poured wine into it. I then spent 20 minutes wondering whether to drink it. The pull from that glass was incredible. I was like a different person. I had literally switched back to that person I was a few weeks ago and it was such a scary feeling. I ended up pouring the glass and the rest of the bottle away....that wine cost me £12, ha! But the price I know I would have paid for drinking it would have been so much higher! Felt instantly better...disaster averted! For now, I’m just gonna stay away from ‘triggering’ food prep!

Love this thread. Lots of lovely people and comments. I don’t check in as often as others but I do read everything. Thank you to everyone for your honesty. Day 28 here....I’m not drinking today. Xx

I've been feeling grumpy today and if someone had wafted a tall, chilled glass of white wine under my nose I'd have grabbed it - fortunately no wine around. Only DH having his G+T.
Day 28 for me, they are slowly clocking up.

I used to have a drink, or three, whilst cooking the evening meal. A reward for getting through the day - not that my days are hard! Not sure why I felt I deserved it. Amazingly I'm not missing a drink then. But at other times I forget I've stopped and start deciding what to have when wine o clock comes round, only to remember suddenly.......

I so wanted a glass of wine tonight and dh has a beer. I couldn’t be arsed to go to shop and dh made dinner really quickly so I am past my danger point of dinner and am glad I resisted.

Welcome to the new posters, it's so inspiring reading others' posts. I don't post every day but I always catch up on the thread and it gives me a boost. I'm day 16 but wobbling because it's my birthday next week and I've two weeks off work. I'm struggling to imagine not drinking in the sunshine, knowing I don't have to get up for work. But, whilst a part of me wants that, another (smaller? Not sure) part of me wants to continue on my 'streak'. I have lots of nice things I can do in my time off if I'm sober. I'm on the fence so I will finish This Naked Mind and see where I am come Friday....

Well done @Ghostonthedancefloor and everyone else managing to get past those cravings.

I'm having a good day today. I think I may be on my first pink cloud - or is it too soon for that? I'm managing to curb my sugar intake a bit too. No doubt it will all go to shit again next week when my hormones take over!

So I've just discovered fever tree tonic (only because its currently half price in tesco,) and wow I think this will be my new tipple! Really hits the back of your throat! Lovely

Hi all. Made it through today despite strong cravings preparing dinner. See if it wasn’t for all this cooking we have to do sobriety would be a schoosh! .
Peaches2222 I really admire your strength of determination in chucking the red wine. I have a wee trick which might help if anyone has a similar situation in the future. You can decant the wine into glass size portions in small freezer bags, or ice-cube trays and freeze for use in recipes. Now I know it would be tempting to have a wine icelolly in a moment of weakness, but I sabotage this by adding salt and pepper to the wine first. Clearly this will only work for savoury future recipes. Just an idea. I also keep port in the cupboard for cooking purposes knowing I won’t really be tempted by it too much, and use it for red wine recipes so I don’t have an excuse to open a bottle.

@iamyourequal that’s a really good tip. Although I’ve never been one for cooking with alcohol. I just bloody drank the stuff.

@Gimmeashake I totally get you with the streak thing. Day 29 for me today and the thought of giving into a craving, no matter how nice that sip of wine was, I would be absolutely devastated to be back at square one.

@Peaches2222 that is absolutely amazing of you. Well done. I think experiences like that make this easier in the longer term. Like if I can resist and pour away £12 worth of wine, I can get through this hour or so craving. Well done.

@EdwinaMay I too have had my fair share of grumpy days. The feeling of missing out creeps in. Just remember we are not missing out. Yes maybe that first glorious glass, but it never is just that first glass is it. Or none of us would be here. Think of all those who are waking up with crippling hangovers after yet another night of drinking too much. They are missing out. Missing out on another day where they could have been free of a hangover and the crushing anxiety that goes with it.

Again it feels wrong saying it but it’s nice to hear other people are experiencing cravings. It did dawn on me tonight however, that although when they do come they are strong, they are getting less and less frequent.

@Teetotallyimperfect oooooo I remember reading about the pink cloud! When are you supposed to start experiencing them?

@Peaches2222 I somehow managed to miss your entire post. But that is amazing! I can imagine how intense that whole experience was. I'm not sure i would have been as strong. Amazingly well done!

@Ghostonthedancefloor I'm really not sure - I just remember reading about them in one of my books. Maybe I'm just in a good mood for a change.

What is the pink cloud?! I think about a month-3 months is a really ‘dangerous’ time. Youve done long enough to think you have it cracked but usually slide right back after a slip. And then often drink more in the months afterwards, bizarrely! That’s what happened when I stopped smoking anyway. I’m sober again tonight and feeling really proud. Well done everyone for keeping going. I haven’t sunk off this thread yet-hurray!

@iamyourequal...oh my gosh, the wine freezing idea is one of the best tips I’ve read!! Absolutely love the idea of adding salt and pepper to it beforehand! I’m definitely gonna do this- brilliant!!

Thanks for the support everyone. Yes @Teetotallyimperfect, it was a very weird and very intense feeling. Scary just what a hold alcohol has over people isn’t it?

@haggisfish, the ‘pink cloud’ is like an intense but natural high that comes when you are sober for a period of time. I think it comes and goes though.

Ah that makes sense.

Evening all. Day 1 pretty easy. Busy with work and garden and had a long nap after dinner.

Yes, @Ghostonthedancefloor , it's easy to remember the nice bits - sipping a chilled white wine, and forget the disturbed sleep and hangover!!
I think I am being lazier as lockdown continues, sitting around more (not doing nothing but reading, painting) and feeling sluggish and bored. Hence grumpy! It's rainy here too.

Need to catch up on thread but after a four day stint, I fell off the wagon on VE Day and haven't got back on..... need my day 1 - well done all you guys. I wonder if I'll ever crack this horrible addiction. Downloaded Naked Mind.....

You can do it qwerty. Even if we don’t give up completely, it’s better than not trying at all. I’m on second night sober in a row this week. Feeling very proud as dh said he was off to buy wine. I paused and said ‘actually, I’m trying not to drink tonight’ and he said ‘oh ok I won’t then’. A really big step for me that one. I feel my mental attitude has changed. I really don’t want to drink as much. Hope everyone is ok-have ordered
Lots of ice pops for hot weather!

Day 2. Work is very stressful at the moment and sucking up the whole day. Then the evening.was full of house jobs. Have finally sat down and started wondering if a nice rum and orange squash would be on the cards. GAH! Blimmin half drunk spirits. Who even thinks of mixing spirits with fruit squash

It’s minging. Don’t do it!!

Thanks Haggis. Did a sudoku instead

@Haggisfish, that totally makes sense. I think that's what tripped me up last time - I got complacent and thought I could moderate. Which I did nicely for a bit but the constant noise in my head was exhausting. "You had a drink last Friday so is it ok to drink this Friday too? Is this a special occasion? Is the occasion special enough? Will you have one and drive or had you might as well have a few seeing as you don't drink often? If you drink every Friday is that a habit? Or is that normal?' And then I would drink just to shut that up, and before I knew it I was back where I was.

@Ghostonthedancefloor,happy one month Soberversary to us